Mounting device

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses a mounting device comprising a supporting frame comprising a chamber therein which is covered by a bottom cover. The chamber includes at least one positioning pin and at least one first spring. A first button is located on the supporting frame and cooperates with the positioning pin. The bottom cover includes at least one aperture corresponding to the positioning pin. A second button acting as a safety switch is located on the supporting frame. When pressing both the first button and the second button, the positioning pin can be pushed out of the bottom cover. If the second button is not pressed, the first button is thus locked, so that the positioning pin is incapable of extending out of the chamber. Due to the second button being added as a safety switch, the operator can press the first button downward so as to push the positioning pins out only after the second button is pressed first. Thus, the operator will not be accidentally stabbed if either one of the two buttons is pressed carelessly so that the overall safety of the device is improved greatly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese Application No. 200520069586.3, filed on Mar. 9, 2005.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mounting device with retractable positioning pins for mounting an object on all kinds of non-rigid surfaces.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common to mount an object to a vertical or oblique surface during daily life for such purposes as lining up nails or other means to secure an object to the surface in a proper position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,879 discloses a laser device which includes retractable positioning pins on the bottom. The positioning pins are received within the baseplate when the device is not in use. When one desires to mount the laser device on a vertical wall or other non-horizontal surface, one merely pushes a button connected to the positioning pins to extend one or more pins from the bottom surface of the laser leveling device into the desired surface until proper orientation is reached.

However, as the positioning pins are hidden within the housing when the device is not in use, people are easily stabbed when they carelessly push the button that advances the pins. This is especially dangerous for children. Therefore, a safer mounting device is needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To provide a safe and reliable mounting device, the present invention discloses a mounting device which comprises a supporting frame, wherein the supporting frame comprises a chamber covered by a bottom cover. There is at least one positioning pin and one first spring contained in the chamber. A first button, which is mechanically connected to the at least one positioning pin for cooperation therewith, is located on the supporting frame. The bottom cover comprises an aperture corresponding to each positioning pin, which aperture is shaped and sized for the positioning pin to run therethrough. There is also a second button located on the supporting frame. A control means is mechanically connected to the second button at one end, the other end of which is connected to a second spring. When the second button is activated, the control means is movable from a first position wherein the first button is prevented from being pressed, to a second position wherein the at least one positioning pin is able to extend through the corresponding aperture of the bottom cover when activated by the first button.

Since the second button is provided as a safety switch, it is only after the second button is pressed that the first button can be pressed down to extend the positioning pins. Thus, people will not be accidentally stabbed when a button is carelessly pressed, so the mounting device is much safer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be illuminated in more detail below with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mounting device with an object mounted thereon according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mounting device of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a partial broken-away view of the mounting device of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an object 100, such as a laser leveling device or any other object 100, is placed on a baseplate 10 that includes a supporting frame 1. The object 100 can be connected to the baseplate 10 using a magnetic connection for added stability, but this is not required. The supporting frame 1 has a pair of projections 2 protruding in parallel that can be placed on a horizontal surface or mounted on a non-horizontal surface of an object, such as a wall. Each of the projections 2 includes a first button 3 thereon.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, each projection 2 includes a chamber 21 and a bottom cover 8 having two apertures 9 thereon. The first button 3 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a connecting frame 14, as shown in FIG. 3, on which two positioning pins 7 and two first springs 11 are mounted. The positioning pins 7 correspond to the apertures 9 on the bottom cover 8, and the first springs 11 operate between the bottom cover 8 and the connecting frame 14. Thus, the positioning pins 7 are generally located within the chamber 21, except when a safety mechanism is deactivated and the first button 3 is pushed by an external force. When this occurs, the first springs 11 are pressed and the positioning pins 7 extend out through the apertures 9 of the bottom cover 8, as shown in FIG. 2.

The baseplate 10 also includes a second button 4 thereon, which controls the safety mechanism. In the present preferred embodiment, the second button 4, located on a side of the projection 2, is connected to a control piece 13 traversing the connecting frame 14. The control piece 13 comprises an elongated pole portion 132 having a transverse projection 131 connected to a second spring 12 on the other end thereof. The connecting frame 14 includes a groove 141, formed on a side wall 6, whose width is appreciably bigger than that of the pole portion 132 of the control piece 13, but smaller than that of the transverse projection 131. In general, the transverse projection 131 of the control piece 13 is located in the groove 141 of the connecting frame 14 so as to make the connecting frame 14 unable to be moved downwards, such that the first button 3 is locked and the positioning pins 7 cannot extend out of the bottom cover 8. However, if the second button 4 is pushed first, the second spring 12 is pressed and the control piece 13 is moved transversely. Once the control piece is moved in this manner, a portion of the pole portion 132 is located in the groove 141 and the positioning pins 7 will be able to be pushed out through the apertures 9 when the first button 3 is pushed. The second button is positioned on the supporting frame for easy actuation by a finger of the operator, for example, the index finger. The first button is positioned on the supporting frame for easy actuation by a thumb of the operator while the second button is being simultaneously actuated by the operator's finger.

The above description referring to FIGS. 1-3 is merely one embodiment according to the present invention. It will be understood that further embodiments may be obtained upon understanding the objects and the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention. For example, the baseplate 10 and the object 100 can be formed as an integral part and are not limited to being two separate parts. Furthermore, the control piece 13 may be utilized to control the retractable positioning pins 7 in other ways. For instance, the control piece 13 may include several through holes (not shown) corresponding to the positioning pins 7. Generally, the control piece 13 covers the positioning pins 7 so as to make them unable to be moved downwards. When pushing the second button 4, the control piece 13 is actuated to press the second spring 12 and make the through holes on the control piece correspond to the locations of the positioning pins 7, thereby allowing the positioning pins 7 to be moved up and down through the holes. Additionally, other biasing communication means can be used in lieu of springs 11, 12, including, but not limited to elastic windings, bendable metal strips, and magnetic biasing. In other embodiments, the bottom cover 8 can be connected to the second button 4 and the second spring 12, respectively. Generally, the apertures on the bottom cover 8 cannot be accessed by the positioning pins 7 until the second button 4 is actuated, thereby allowing the apertures to be accessed by the positioning pins 7. The objects of the present invention can be reached in other ways which will be apparent to those skilled in the art when reading the above description.

It is to be understood that the description referring to the above-mentioned drawings is merely one embodiment according to the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined by the terms of the appended claims. Any modification, variation, or alteration deriving therefrom is also regarded as within the scope of the present invention. 

1. A mounting device comprising: a supporting frame comprising a chamber therein which is covered by a bottom cover, the chamber including at least one positioning pin and at least one first spring therein; a first button mechanically connected to the at least one positioning pin and cooperating therewith, the first button being located on the supporting frame; at least one aperture in the bottom cover, each aperture being adapted for one positioning pin to run therethrough; a second button being located on the supporting frame; and, a control means being mechanically connected to the second button at one end, the other end of which is connected to a second spring, the control means being movable, under the activation of the second button, from a first position wherein the first button is prevented from being pressed and a second position wherein the at least one positioning pin is able to extend through the corresponding aperture of the bottom cover when activated by the first button.
 2. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein the first button is connected to the positioning pin via a connecting frame, and the control means, which is positioned between the connecting frame and the bottom cover, comprises an elongated pole portion and a transverse projection, the connecting frame includes a side wall having a groove formed thereon which is corresponding to an underside of the transverse projection of the control means in the first position and also corresponding to an underside of the elongated pole portion of the control means in the second position, and the width of the groove is appreciably bigger than that of the pole portion of the control means and smaller than that of the transverse projection.
 3. The mounting device of claim 1, wherein the control means includes at least one through hole which is departed from the at least one positioning pin when the control means is in the first position and corresponding to the at least one positioning pin when the control means is the second position.
 4. A mounting device comprising: a supporting frame comprising a chamber therein which is covered by a bottom cover, the chamber including at least one positioning pin and at least one first spring therein; a first button mechanically connected to the at least one positioning pin and cooperating therewith being located on the supporting frame; the bottom cover including at least one aperture, each of which is adapted for one positioning pin to run therethrough; and, a second button being located on the supporting frame, the bottom cover being connected to the second button at one end, the other end of which is connected to a second spring, the bottom cover being movable, under the activation of the second button, from a first position wherein the at least one positioning pin is departed from the at least one aperture to a second position wherein each of the at least one positioning pins corresponds to an aperture.
 5. A mounting device comprising: a supporting frame comprising a chamber therein that is covered by a bottom cover, the chamber including at least one positioning pin in biased communication with a first button; at least one aperture in the bottom cover, each aperture being adapted for a positioning pin to run therethrough when the first button is pressed; a second button in biased communication with a control piece such that the control piece is movable from a first position wherein the first button is prevented from being pressed to a second position wherein the first button is able to be pressed, thereby permitting the at least one positioning pin to be extended through the corresponding aperture of the bottom cover.
 6. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the at least one positioning pin is biased via a spring to the first button.
 7. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the first button is located on the supporting frame.
 8. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the second button is located on the supporting frame.
 9. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the control piece is mechanically connected to the second button at one end and mechanically connected to a spring at the other end.
 10. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the first button is connected to the at least one positioning pin via a connecting frame.
 11. The mounting device of claim 10 wherein the control piece is positioned between the connecting frame and the bottom cover.
 12. The mounting device of claim 11 wherein the control piece comprises an elongated pole portion and a transverse projection.
 13. The mounting device of claim 12 wherein the connecting frame comprises a side wall having a groove formed thereon, which groove corresponds to an underside of the transverse projection of the control piece in the first position.
 14. The mounting device of claim 13 wherein the width of the groove is appreciably bigger than that of the pole portion of the control piece and smaller than that of the transverse projection.
 15. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the control piece includes at least one through hole which is departed from the at least one positioning pin when the control means is in the first position and corresponding to the at least one positioning pin when the control means is in the second position.
 16. The mounting device of claim 5 for use with a laser leveling device.
 17. The mounting device of claim 5 wherein the second button is positioned on the supporting frame for easy actuation by a finger of the operator.
 18. The mounting device of claim 17 wherein the intended finger is the index finger.
 19. The mounting device of claim 17 wherein the first button is positioned on the supporting frame for easy actuation by a thumb of the operator while the second button is being simultaneously actuated by the operator's finger.
 20. The mounting device of claim 5, further comprising: a magnet for magnetically coupling an object to the mounting device. 